Handle for an endoscope

ABSTRACT

A handle for endoscope including a handle housing, an operating member ( 7 ) accommodated in said handle housing, at least one guide tube ( 16 ) adapted for surrounding and supporting at least one pull wire ( 17 ), and an anchoring block ( 15 ). The anchoring block ( 15 ) comprises at least one bore ( 20 ) adapted for insertion of said at least one guide tube ( 16 ) and at least one inlet passage in fluid communication with said at least one bore.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a National stage application filed under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2018/055603, filed on Mar. 7,2018, which claims the benefit of Denmark Patent Application No. PA 201770167, filed on Mar. 8, 2017, which applications are incorporated hereinby reference thereto.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to endoscopes in general and morespecifically to means for maintaining a tensioned pull wire in anendoscope.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Endoscopes are well known devices for visually inspecting inaccessibleplaces such as human body cavities. Typically, the endoscope comprisesan elongated insertion tube with a handle at the proximal end as seenfrom the operator and visual inspections means, such as a built incamera, at the distal end of the elongated insertion tube. Thisconvention of distal and proximal, proximal being the end closest to theoperator and distal being the end remote from the operator, as usedabove for the endoscope in general will, where applicable, be adhered tofor all parts throughout this description. Electrical wiring for thecamera and other electronics such as LED lighting run along the insideof the elongated insertion tube from the handle to the tip at the distalend. Instead of using cameras, endoscopes may also be fibre-optic, inwhich case the optical fibres run along inside of the elongatedinsertion tube. Also, a working channel may run along the inside of theinsertion tube from the handle to the tip, e.g. allowing liquid to beremoved from the body cavity or allowing the insertion of surgicalinstruments or the like into the body cavity.

Furthermore, in order to be able to maneuver the endoscope inside thebody cavity, the distal end of the endoscope may comprise a section withincreased flexibility, e.g. an articulated tip part allowing theoperator to bend this section. Typically, this is done by tensioning orslacking pull-wires in a guide tube also running along the inside of theelongated insertion tube from the articulated tip part to a controlmechanism with a control knob in the handle in an arrangement commonlyknown as a Bowden cable.

The pull-wire running along the inside of the guide tube of a Bowdencable normally extends with a predetermined length over either endallowing an operating member to be attached to a free end, in thefollowing referred to as the proximal end, and an operated member to beattached to the other free end, in the following referred to as thedistal end. When the ends of the guide tube are held stationary,movement of the proximal end of the pull-wire with respect to the guidetube is transmitted to the distal end as a corresponding movement of thedistal end of the pull-wire with respect to the guide tube, so as toeffect a movement of the operated member.

One way of securing the proximal ends of the guide tubes is disclosed inWO2014/127780. Here, the proximal ends of the guide tubes are terminatedin a termination block located in a seat or recess provided on theinside of the handle housing wall of the handle of the endoscope. Morespecifically, the proximal ends of the guide tubes are terminated insuitable bores in the termination block. More specifically the bores arestepped in order to provide a ledge which the end of a respective guidetube abuts, whereas the pull wire continues through the bore towards theoperating member.

Another way of securing the proximal ends of the guide tubes isdisclosed in WO2010/066789. Here the proximal ends of the guide tubesterminate at a pillar protruding from the inside of the handle housingwall into the interior of the handle. It is stated that the terminationdirects the cables towards their attachment points at the operatingmember, but no details of the termination and of how this is achievedare disclosed.

Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,775 describes a multiple use endoscopehaving an anchoring block in which two pairs of pipes are secured infour bores in a manner not disclosed or otherwise indicated.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Based on this prior art it is the object of the present invention toprovide an improved way of securing the end of a guide tube in a givenposition with respect to the operating member of an endoscope, inparticular with respect to the handle housing in which the operatingmember is accommodated.

According to a first aspect of the present invention this object isachieved by a handle for an endoscope, said handle comprising, a handlehousing, an operating member accommodated in said handle, at least oneguide tube adapted for surrounding and supporting at least one pull wireover a first part of the length of the pull wire, an anchoring block forsecuring at least one part of the guide tube in a predetermined positionwith respect to the operating member, said anchoring block comprising atleast one bore adapted for insertion of said at least one guide tube,wherein said anchoring block comprises at least one inlet passage influid communication with said at least one bore.

According to a second aspect of the present invention this object isachieved by an endoscope having a handle comprising, a handle housing,an operating member accommodated in said handle, at least one guide tubeadapted for surrounding and supporting at least one pull wire over afirst part of the length of the pull wire, an anchoring block forsecuring at least one part of the guide tube in a predetermined positionwith respect to the operating member, said anchoring block comprising atleast one bore adapted for insertion of said at least one guide tube,wherein said anchoring block comprises at least one inlet passage influid communication with said at least one bore.

By providing such an anchoring block it becomes very easy duringmanufacture to position the free end of the guide tube with respect tothe handle and, in turn, the operating member to which the pull wire isattached. At the same time it becomes very easy to secure the free endof the guide tube in this position by pouring a correct amount of asuitable glue or adhesive into the anchoring block. Furthermore, the useof glued parts in this way renders the entire construction of theendoscope more suitable for single use because parts that in a reusableendoscope would have to be mounted in a detachable manner forreplacement may simply be secured by gluing. Thus, complicatedconstructions for allowing the detachment and replacement are avoided.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, the at leastone bore is a through bore allowing the through passage of the guidetube. This allows the free end of the guide tube to visibly protrudefrom the anchoring block towards the operating member, in turn allowingverification of the proper insertion of the guide tube into theanchoring block.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the anchoringblock comprises a transparent or translucent plastic material. Thisallows for the use of a glue or a resin which will cure or set underirradiation with light, in particular ultra violet light. In a furtherspecific embodiment the anchoring block is made from one material whichis transparent or translucent.

According to a further embodiment, the handle housing comprises areceptacle adapted for accommodating the anchoring block. This allowsthe provision of the anchoring block as a separately manufactured item,in turn, facilitating both the manufacture thereof and the handlehousing, as compared to the manufacture of the anchoring block as anintegral part of the handle housing.

According to a preferred embodiment, the anchoring block is adapted forinsertion into the receptacle in the handle housing. Adapting it forinsertion, allows the easy placement of the anchoring block in thereceptacle.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the receptacle is formedintegrally with the handle housing. This allows good control of theposition of the anchoring block with respect to the operating memberwhen correctly inserted into the receptacle.

According to an especially preferred embodiment, the anchoring blockcomprises an essentially cylindrical protrusion. This, cylindricalprotrusion is advantageous when during assembly of the endoscope correcttension has to be applied to the pull wire.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be explained in greater detail based onnon-limiting exemplary embodiments, and with reference to the drawingson which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an endoscope with a handle accordingto the present invention,

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a handle of an endoscope inaccordance with the present invention,

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the handle of FIG. 2 taken alongthe line III-III,

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the handle of FIG. 2 with a handlehousing part removed for a better view of the internal parts,

FIG. 5 shows another perspective view of the handle of FIG. 2 with thehandle housing removed as in FIG. 3 for another view to the internalparts,

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the anchoring block with the Bowdencables and the operating member to which they are attached,

FIG. 7 shows a partially exploded view of details of the bearings of theoperating member, and

FIG. 8 shows details of the mounting of the operating members and thebearings in the handle housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning first to FIG. 2 a perspective view of a handle 1 of an endoscopeaccording to the invention is shown. From the handle an insertion tube 2extends. The insertion tube 2 is shown only in part in FIG. 2 as thedetails thereof are not of importance for the present invention, and assuch well known in the art. A general overview is seen in FIG. 1 .Details of the insertion tube may e.g. be found in the aforementionedWO2014/127780 incorporated herein by reference. The handle 1 comprises ahandle housing with lid part 3 and a main body part 4 and a number ofminor housing parts. The lid part 3 comprises an elongate aperture 5through which a control knob 6 of an operating member 7 protrudes at anangle to the lid, so as to allow it to be readily manipulated by a thumbof an operator. The operating member 7 is not itself visible in FIG. 2 ,but the shield 35 thereof is visible through the aperture 5. The mainbody part 4 is adapted to accommodate most of the internal parts of theendoscope handle, fixed as well as movable, such as the aforementionedoperating member 7. When closed by the lid part 3 the main body part 4and the lid part 3 form a generally tubular handle housing. The handlehousing is further closed at the proximal end of the endoscope by an endpiece 8. At the opposite end, the tubular handle housing is closed by atransition part 9 providing the transition from the handle 1 to theinsertion tube 2. The end piece 8 is preferably provided with and accessport 10 for an internal working channel 14 (not visible in FIG. 2 )leading to the distal tip 34 (shown only in FIG. 1 ) of the endoscope ina well-known manner. The main body part 4 also preferably accommodates alead-in 11 for connecting a vacuum suction hose to an internal suctionchannel 13 (also not visible in FIG. 2 ) in the endoscope, in a likewisewell-known manner, as well as a push-button 12 controlling a valve foractivation of the suction from the distal end of the insertion tube 2though the suction channel 13 of the endoscope.

Turning now to the cross-section in FIG. 3 some of the internal partsaccommodated in and held by the main body part 4 of the handle housingcan be seen. These parts include inter alia the already mentionedoperating member 7 and the working channel 14, but also an anchoringblock 15 for the guide tubes 16 of pull wires 17 of the Bowden cablesleading from the operating member 7 to an articulated distal tip part 36(shown only in FIG. 1 ) of the endoscope at the distal end of theinsertion tube. The details of the articulated distal tip part 36 arewell-known in the art and not as such of interest in the presentinvention, and will therefore not be described in detail. An example isfound in the aforementioned WO2014/127780. In the preferred embodimentthere are two pull wires 17, but the skilled person will know that theremay be only one, but also more than two, e.g. three or four.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the anchoring block 15 is a separateelement held in a fixed position with respect to the handle housing, bya receptacle 18 into which it is inserted. The receptacle 18 ispreferably formed integrally with the main body part 4, morespecifically as one or more protrusions on the inside wall thereof. Theanchoring block 15 may be secured in the receptacle by means of adhesiveor the like, or it may simply be clamped by one or more suitablyengaging protrusions or the like, provided on the inside wall of the lidpart 3, when the latter is in position. As can be seen from FIG. 3 , inthe illustrated preferred embodiment only a single engaging protrusionis provided in the form of a cross-rib 19 extending perpendicular fromthe inside wall of the lid part 3. To further ensure the position of theanchoring block 15 in the receptacle 18, the anchoring block 15 maycomprise guide means in the form of grooves 25 (see FIG. 6 ) adapted toengage corresponding ribs provided on the inside wall of the main bodypart 4. The anchoring block 15 in a preferred embodiment comprises amain body member, generally in the shape of a rectangular or square,i.e. a tile or a slab with two opposite large sides and four smallersides connecting the large sides. Generally, the pairs of opposite sidesare parallel to each other, but to ensure the correct position it ispreferred that one side 26 is adapted to engage inside wall of the mainbody part, and therefore has a matching curvature and angle. The angleprovides a wedge which not only facilitates the insertion into thereceptacle, but also indicates to the assembling person, the correctorientation of the anchoring block when it is inserted into thereceptacle.

The anchoring block 15 comprises at least a number of bores 20corresponding to the number of Bowden cables used in the specificendoscope, i.e. two in the present embodiment. The bores 20 are throughbores and generally have an internal diameter allowing the guide tubes16 to pass all the way through so that the proximal end of the guidetubes 16 protrude visibly from the anchoring block 15. It would ofcourse also be possibly to have through bores with varying diameter, inparticular stepped, so as to allow the guide tubes 16 to abut a ledge inthe bore 20 inside of the anchoring block 15, so that only the pullwires pass all the way through the anchoring block 15. This offers theadvantage of securing the guide tubes 16 even better to the anchoringblock 15. This, however, is considered less desirable because it entailsthe risk of introducing unnecessary friction from the anchoring block15, which, unlike the guide tubes 16, is not necessarily optimized forlow friction.

As can be seen in FIGS. 3-7 , the diameter of the bore 20 generallyexceeds the outer diameter of the guide tube 16. This allows plenty ofroom for an adhesive in the form of glue such as a curable resin toenter and secure the guide tube 16 with respect to the anchoring block15.

Turning now to FIG. 2-7 , the main body part 4 with the anchoring block15 is shown at another angle. From this angle it can be seen that in theanchoring block 15 a cut-out 21 a is formed. The cut-out 21 a leads tothe bore 20 and thus provides an inlet passage 21 in fluid communicationwith the bore 20. The inlet passage 21 is located more or less in themiddle of the length of the bore 20. This allows the adhesive forsecuring the guide tube 16 to be simply poured into the bore 20,distribute itself around the guide tube 16 and in either directiontowards the openings 20 a, 20 b, in distal and proximal surfaces 15 a,15 b of the anchoring block 15 (i.e. for each bore 20, a first opening20 a in the distal surface 15 a and a second opening 15 b in theproximal surface 15 b), at the respective ends of the bore 20. When theadhesive sets, the guide tube 16 is secured with respect to theanchoring block 15. Because the anchoring block 15 is inserted and heldin the receptacle formed on the inside wall of the main body 4 the guidetube 16 is fixed with in a predetermined, desired position with respectto the handle housing and, in turn, with respect to the operating member7. The adhesive is preferably an UV curable resin, curing under theirradiation with ultra violet light (UV). Accordingly, the anchoringblock is preferably made of a transparent or translucent material, inparticular a transparent or translucent plastic material.

As can be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6 the orientation of the bore 20 in theanchoring block is carefully selected to point the guide tube 16 towardsan attachment point 37 at the operating member 7, when the anchoringblock 15 is correctly inserted in the receptacle 18.

With the guide tube 16 properly secured in the correct orientation inthe anchoring block 15 the guide tube 16 may be cut at a suitable pointand the remainder removed so as to leave the pull wire 17 insideuncovered. The point where the guide tube 16 is cut now provides thefree proximal end of the guide tube 16. A small part of the guide tubeis protruding from the anchoring block 15, i.e. between the anchoringblock 15 and the proximal end of the guide tube 16. Accordingly, anuncovered length of the pull wire 17 now extends from the proximal endof the guide tube 16. Since the proximal end of the guide tube 16 pointstowards the attachment point 37 the pull wire may be drawn to theattachment point 37 in a generally straight line forming a tangent tothe outer cylindrical surface 23 of the operating member 7, and inparticular without any kinks or discontinuities at the proximal end ofthe guide tube 16. Such kinks or discontinuities could increase wear onthe guide tube 16, the pull wires 17 or even the anchoring block 15, butare thus avoided. Moreover, because the short length of guide tube 16extends from the anchoring block in the right direction it is of lessimportance where exactly the guide tube is cut, thus facilitating andspeeding the manual assembly process of the handle. Because precision itnot so important, it may instead be advantageous to cut the guide tube16 to length before it is secured, or even inserted, in the anchoringblock 15.

At the attachment point 37 the pull wire 17 is attached to the operatingmember 7. From the attachment point 37 there is a transition surfaceonto an outer cylindrical surface 23. The cylindrical surface ensuresthat when the operating member is turned, the pulling force remainsproportional to the torque applied to the control knob 6, and at thesame time maintains the desired direction of the pull wire 17 towardsthe proximal end of the guide tube 16. It also aids in securing theattachment of the pull wire 17 to the operating member 7. Morespecifically, a loop is preferably formed by drawing the remainder 17′of the pull wire 17 back along itself towards the proximal end of theguide tube 16 attaching the remainder 17′ of the pull wire to the pullwire 17 itself, somewhere between the operation member 7 and theproximal end of the guide tube 16 as best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 .Attachment by crimping using an open or closed tube 22 is preferred, butthe skilled person will know that other methods of attaching the pullwire 17 to itself could be used instead. Apart from the transition theouter cylindrical surface 23 is preferably smooth, i.e. without anygrooves. Not having any groove maximizes the diameter of the cylindricalsurface 23 and hence the lever, in turn, maximizing the displacement ofthe pull wire 17 and consequently the maximum deflection of thearticulated tip part 36.

For the proper function of the Bowden cable in the operation of thearticulated tip part, it is of importance to have good control over thetension of the pull wires 17. Both slack and over tension is undesired.

For this, the endoscope comprises a direction guide 24. In the preferredembodiment the direction guide 24 is a cylindrical protrusion formedintegrally with the anchoring block 15, and thus in vicinity of thefirst location where the guide tube 16 is fixed with respect to thehandle housing. As mentioned, the anchoring block 15 in preferredembodiment is generally a rectangular or square body member, i.e. a tileor a slab with two opposite large sides and four smaller sidesconnecting the large sides. As can best be seen in FIG. 5 thecylindrical protrusion extends perpendicular from one of the large sideswhereas the inlet passages 21 to the bores 20 are located on theopposite one of the large sides. The bores 20 extend between two of thesmaller sides in a first plane between and generally parallel with thelarge sides. The bores 20 generally extend at an angle to each other sothat each bore points towards a respective connection point 37 on eitherside of the diameter of the operation member 7. The outer surface of thedirection guide 24 comprises an outer surface extending essentiallyperpendicular to the first plane in which the at least one pull wirelies. In the preferred embodiment the mantle of the cylinder thusextends perpendicular to the large sides, and the first plane in whichthe bores 20 lie.

The projection of the mantle onto the first plane preferably coincideswith the through bores 20. If the bores 20 are straight, they thus formtangents to the circular projection of the mantle onto the first plane.It should however be noted that the bores 20 could be curved, and inthat case the imaginary linear extension of the linear part of the pullwire 17 between the operating member and the proximal end of the guidetubes 16 should be tangential to the projection of the direction guide24.

During the assembly of the endoscope, the direction guide 24 serves tokeep the direction and the tension on the part of the pull wire 17 whichis drawn back along itself, i.e. the remainder 17′. More specificallythe free end of the pull wire 17 is drawn past direction guide 24 andpartially around it to secure the straight line from the attachmentpoint 37 to the direction guide 24. This is indicated by showing theremainder 17′ which will later be cut away, with the dashed lines inFIG. 6 . From the direction guide 24 it is the remainder 17′ of the pullwire 17 drawn in another direction to a tensioning device where it istemporarily attached. The tensioning device ensures that the correcttension is on the pull wire 17 when the loop is secured by attaching thepull wire 17 to itself, e.g. by crimping the tube 22 onto it. Typicalvalues of tension would be in the range of 1 N to 4 N. Also, theclamping mechanism leaves both hands of the assembly person free for thecrimping operation etc. The free end of the pull wire 17 is thensevered, and the remainder of the pull wire, i.e. the unused may bereleased from the clamping means. Preferably, one and the same directionguide 24 may be used for both pull wires 17. That is to say the diameterof the cylinder is adapted to match the location of both bores 20, sothat for one bore 20 the pull wire 17 is drawn partially around thedirection guide 24 in a clockwise sense, and for the other bore 20 thepull wire 17 is drawn partially around the direction guide 24 in thecounter-clockwise sense. It is of course also possible to use moredirection guides, e.g. one per bore 20. Furthermore, it is of course notexcluded to use only one direction guide 24 and draw both the pull wiresaround it in the same direction. This of course would give a lessaccurate direction of the pull wires during attachment, but in someconfigurations this tradeoff may be acceptable. One such configurationcould be a direction guide 24 with a smaller diameter of the cylinder,not matching any of the locations of the bores 20.

According to a further preferred embodiment the operating member may beheld in a novel bearing arrangement. This novel bearing arrangement,which is best seen in FIGS. 6 to 8 , may be implemented in an endoscopehandle independently of the way the guide tube 16 is secured to thehandle housing and the full wires tensioned and directed towards theoperating member.

Turning, however, first to FIG. 5 a bifurcated post 27 can be seen.Another similar bifurcated post 27 visible in FIG. 8 is arranged on theother side of the operating member 7. The bifurcation of the post 27 isprovided by a recess provided in the free end of each post. The recessis adapted to receive a bearing element 28 made from a suitable lowfriction material, i.e. selected to provide low friction for the shaft30 of the operating member 7. One example of a suitable material couldbe POM (Polyoxymethylene). The bearing element 28 has a blindcylindrical hole 29 adapted to receive one end of the shaft 30 of theoperating member. The shaft 30 is preferably made integrally with theoperating member 7 and of the same material, e.g. by injection molding,so that it rotates with the operating member 7. The bearing element 28has suitable protrusion 31 engaging on either side of the bifurcatedpost 27 so as to prevent translatory movement with respect to thebifurcated post 27 in the axial direction of the shaft 30. Alternativelyor additionally, the bearing member has suitable protrusions 32 engagingon either side of a rib 33 provided on the inside wall of the main bodypart 4. The engagement between the protrusions 32 and the rib 33prevents rotary movement of the bearing element 28 with respect to themain body part 4 and in particular with respect to the bifurcated post27. It is thus ensured that the shaft 30 does not rotate the bearingelement 28, but rather rotates itself in the bearing element 28 so thatthe selected frictional properties are utilized in full. If not,unnecessary noise and undesired tactile feedback could be produced whenthe operating member 7 is turned by the thumb of the operator, in turn,leading to a sensation of reduced quality of the endoscope for theoperator.

For the same reason the dimensions of the shaft 30 and the bearingelements 28 are carefully taken into account in order to prevent anyplay. More specifically the length of the shaft 30 is slightly longerthan the distance between the bottoms of the blind holes 29 in thebearing elements 28 when the latter are properly located in thebifurcated posts 27. Thus the bifurcated posts 27 will be bent slightlyaway from the operating member 7 in an elastic manner leaving no playbetween the shaft 30 and the bearing elements 28. Likewise, thedimensions of the part of the bearing elements 28 located between thebifurcated posts 27 and the main body part 4 is also slightly largerthan the distance between the inside wall of the main body part 4 andthe bearing part where they engage each other, so that the bearingelements 28 press walls of the main body parts slightly apart in theassembled state. The elasticity of the main body part 4 thus aids inpressing the bearing elements 28 into the engagement with the shaft 30.

The skilled person will understand that the invention as described aboveis not limited to the exemplary embodiments but many variations andimplementations are possible without deviating from the scope of theclaims. In particular features of embodiments may be implementedseparately or in combination. Also, different dimensions and materialsmay be selected for purpose specific endoscopes and the like. Inparticular, the skilled person will understand that the extensive use ofglued parts entails low manufacturing costs, in turn rendering theendoscope suitable for single use. In this respect it should be notedthat single use means the use involving one single patient, and inparticular does not imply that the endoscope may only be used in onesingle procedure involving the person. It may thus very well be usedrepeatedly for the same or different procedures involved in anexamination and/or treatment of a patient.

We claim:
 1. A handle for an endoscope, said handle comprising: a handlehousing, an operating member accommodated in said handle, two guidetubes sized and configured to receive therethrough, respectively, afirst part of a first pull wire and a first part of a second pull wire,an anchoring block having a proximal surface spaced apart and opposite adistal surface, two bores each having a first opening in the proximalsurface and a second opening in the distal surface, the first openingsbeing closer to each other than the second openings, each of the twoguide tubes passing through one or the other of the two bores, theanchoring block also having adhesive inlet passages intermediate thefirst opening and the second opening of each of the two bores, theadhesive inlet passages in fluid communication with each of the twobores, respectively, and a hardened adhesive securing the two guidetubes to the anchoring block at or adjacent to each of the adhesiveinlet passages in predetermined positions relative to the operatingmember.
 2. The handle of claim 1, wherein the two bores arethrough-bores, and wherein the two guide tubes extend through thethrough-bores.
 3. The handle of claim 1, wherein the anchoring blockcomprises a single-piece of transparent plastic material.
 4. The handleof claim 1, wherein the handle housing comprises a receptacle sized andconfigured to accommodate the anchoring block, and wherein the anchoringblock is secured in the receptacle in a fixed position relative to theoperating member.
 5. The handle of claim 4, wherein the receptacle isformed integrally with the handle housing in one-piece.
 6. The handle ofclaim 1, wherein the anchoring block comprises a first surface spacedapart and opposite a second surface, and a top surface spaced apart andopposite a bottom surface, and wherein the two bores are disposedbetween the first surface and the second surface and extend from theproximal surface to the distal surface.
 7. The handle of claim 1, thehandle housing further comprising a post having a recess on a free endof the post, the handle further comprising a bearing and an operatingshaft, the bearing positioned in the recess of the post and having ablind cylindrical hole, the operating shaft having a first endpositioned in the blind cylindrical hole of the bearing and connected tothe operating member, whereby rotation of the operating member causesthe first end to rotate in the bearing.
 8. The handle of claim 7,wherein the post is flexible and the operating shaft is sufficientlylong that after assembly the operating shaft causes the post to flexaway from the operating member and tension resulting from such flexingof the post prevents lateral movement of the shaft.
 9. The handle ofclaim 7, wherein the bearing is made from a material having a lowercoefficient of friction than the post.
 10. The handle of claim 1, thehandle housing further comprising a first post and a second post, eachof the first post and the second post having a recess on a free endthereof, the handle further comprising a first bearing, a secondbearing, and an operating shaft connected to the operating member androtating therewith, the first bearing positioned in the recess of thefirst post and having a blind cylindrical hole ending in a bottom, thesecond bearing positioned in the recess of the second post and having ablind cylindrical hole ending in a bottom, and the operating shafthaving a length longer than a distance between the bottoms of the blindcylindrical holes before assembly of the operating shaft with the firstbearing and the second bearing.
 11. An endoscope comprising the handleof claim
 1. 12. The endoscope of claim 11, wherein the endoscope isadapted for single use by adhesively bonding the two guide tubes to theanchoring block.
 13. The endoscope of claim 11, further comprising pullwires including the first pull wire and a second pull wire, and whereinthe pull wires passing through, respectively, the two guide tubes andthe two bores.
 14. A method of making an endoscope, the methodcomprising: pivotally securing an operating member in a handle housing;securing an anchoring block to the handle housing in a fixed positionrelative to the operating member, the anchoring block comprising a firstbore and a second bore disposed at an angle to the first bore, a firstsurface spaced apart and opposite a second surface, and an inlet passagein fluid communication with the first bore, wherein the first bore andthe second bore are disposed between the first surface and the secondsurface; securing a first guide tube to the first bore and a secondguide tube to the second bore; securing a proximal part of a first pullwire extending proximally from the first guide tube to the operatingmember leaving a free end; tensioning the free end; and securing thefree end to a portion of the first pull wire extending proximally fromthe first guide tube to the operating member.
 15. The method of claim14, further comprising, before securing the first guide tube to thefirst bore, cutting the first guide tube to uncover the proximal end ofthe first pull wire.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein securing aproximal part of a first pull wire extending proximally from the firstguide tube to the operating member leaving a free end comprises loopingthe portion of the first pull wire extending proximally from the firstguide tube to an attachment point of the operating member.
 17. Themethod of claim 14, further comprising: before securing the first guidetube to the first bore, cutting the first guide tube to uncover theproximal end of the first pull wire; providing an adhesive to the inletpassage to secure the first guide tube to the anchoring block; andwherein securing a proximal part of a first pull wire extendingproximally from the first guide tube to the operating member leaving afree end comprises looping the portion of the first pull wire extendingproximally from the first guide tube to an attachment point of theoperating member.